Automatic regulator



0d. l. 1940 A. l.. BERGER 2,216,699

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR Filed Dec. 3, 1937 IfroRA/e Ys Patented Oct. 1, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC aEGULA'ron Adolph L. Berger, Dayton, Ohio Application December s, 1937, serial No. 117,936

s claims. (ol. 121-41) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asv

amended April 30, 1928: 370 0. G. '357) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

In the operation of internal combustion engines subjected to varying pressures, such as those encountered during ascent and descent of aircraft, or where any paralleling pressure variation is encountered. it becomes" necessary to provide a means for automatically varying carburetor air-fuel rati or supercharger pressure-altitude ratio in order that satisfactory and economical engine operation may be obtained.

It is the purpose of my invention to furnish an automatic control for varying carburetor air-fuel ratios or supercharger pressure-altitude ratios. I

propose to do this, on the one hand, by providingl tor, fuel meter, or injection device which will assure proper fuel introduction into the aircraft engine irrespective of ,pressurer or altitude changes, or on the other hand, by providing a means for use in connection with a valve controlling any supercharger intake or equivalent for maintaining constant combustion pressures within the cylinders of an aircraft engine irrespective of changes in the surrounding atmospheric pressure with changes in altitude.

With the foregoing and other objectives in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention4 consists of certain new and novel improvements in automatic mixture control regulators, which will be hereinafter more fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several claims:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my invention applied to a carburetor mixture control;

` Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the automatic regulator; and

oil pump having a pressure outlet 2 and a return inlet 3. The aft end of the engine is shown in partial broken-away cross section to-indicate the internal workingsv of a centrifugal compressor 4. vThe compressor 4 is crankshaft driven by means of conventional gearing 5 which terminates in an impeller 6. The impeller 9 is contained within an impeller chamber 1, in operable connection with a scroll 8 leading directly into conduits 9 discharging into the cylinder intakes of the engine The engine I is also provided with a carburetor Ill operably connected to the inlet mouth of the compressor 4 by means of inlet conduit 'I'he carburetor I0 is provided with a conventional turel control |2'foreiecting airfuel ratio variation through appropriate movement of operating lever I3. The air inlet is provided with a conventional buttery valve I4 having the usual operating lever I5. The operating lever I5 is controlled by means of an engine 'throttle control I6 and connecting rod I1. 'Ihe inlet conduit is further provided with a pipe fitting boss I8.

In previous operation of aircraft, it has been customary to furnish a manual control similar to the engine throttle control I6 for actuating the operating lever of the mixture control I2. As the aircraft gained altitude and the pressure of the atmosphere surrounding the engine decreased, the mixture control was progressively manually adjusted to effect the air-fuel ratio initially maintained at ground level. I propose to sub- -stitute for the aforesaid manual control, an automatic mixture control regulator I9, more fully described hereinbelow. Y

In Figs. 1 and 2, the automatic mixture control regulator |9 is provided with a housing 20 having a cylinder 2|l extending laterally across its top portion. The cylinder 2| is provided with apiston 22 having a hub 23 to which is threaded, a rod 24. An outer end 25 of the rod 24 has a forked fitting 26 mounted thereon. The tting 26 is directly connected to the operating lever I3 by, means of a connecting rod 21.

The piston 22 is adapted to be urged in one direction by a coiled spring 28, engaging therewith at one end and seated at its opposite end against a washer 29. The washer 29 is retained within the cupped inner extremity pf an abutment plug 30. The rod 24 is threaded at its inner extremity to permit fixing of the piston 22 by means'of a nut 3| and lock washer 32. 'I'he right-hand extremity of the cylinder 2| is provided with avertical passage 33 provided at its upper extremity with a conventional pipe tap for receiving pipe L 34'which, in Fig. 1, is shown to be operably connected with the pressure outlet 2 by means of piping 35. l.

The bottom WallV of th'e cylinder 2| is provided withboss projections 36 and 31, which perform the joint function of acting as a sliding journal for a needle valve 33, and providing a bleeder 39. The bleeder 39 consists of a cavity 43, cavity outiet 4|, and threaded valve seat sleeve 42. The non-valve extremity of the sleeve 42 is in operable communication with the passage 33. Thus, the heads of the piston 22 and the valve 38 are, during operation of the aircraft engine, at all times subjected to a varying oil pressure.

The lower central portion of the housing 20 is provided with three co-axially aligned diaphragm elements. An atmospheric pressure responsive means in the form of a completely evacuated diaphragm 43 is prevented from initial collapse by means of a retaining spring coil 44. The left extremity of the diaphragm 43 terminates in a base 45 resting against a boss 43 provided on the inner surface of the housing 20. The right extremity of the diaphragm 43 is sealed with a diaphragm plate 41 having central bearing surface 48. Oppositely disposed to the diaphragm 43 is provided a double diaphragm with coaxially disposed inner (49) 'and outer (53) elements completely sealed against intercommunication with one another. I'he inner diaphragm 49, which I propose to utilize as a servo motor, is fixed at its right extremity to a base 50, the left extremity thereof being similarly fixed toa plate 5I provided with a bearing surface 52`. The outer diaphragm 53, which I propose to utilize as a variable fluid pressure responsive means, is also fixed at its outer extremities to the base 50 and the plate 5I. The common base 50 is provided with pipe taps 54 and'55 in direct communication, respectively, with inner diaphragm 49 and outer diaphragm 53. It will be seen that the passage 33 of housing 20 is at all times in oper- `able communication with the interior of the inner diaphragm 49 by means of conventional pipe Ls 34, pipe fittings 55, and a piping 51. On the other hand, the interior of the variable iluid pressure responsive means constituting the outer diaphragm 53 is at all times in operable communication with the interior of the inlet mouth of the compressor 4 by means of pipe ttings 58 and a piping 59.

The oppositely disposed surfaces of the bearing surface 48 and bearing surface 52 are at all times iixedly spaced apart by means of an enlarged cenral portion 63 of a floating lever B I, the lower end of which has sliding connection with a rod 62,the setting of the rod 62 being adjustable by means of a threaded portion 53 and knurled handle S4, the lower extremity of the floating lever 6I being provided with an enlarged central portion 65 similar in exteriorv characteristics to portion 50. The interior of portion B5 is hollowed out to permit limited tilting of the floating lever BI about a necked-down portion 6B of the rodvBZ which is made fast thereto by means of a collar Sl and a pin 58. The upper extremity of the floating lever 6I is provided with a yoke 69 pivoted to the needle Valve 33 by means of a pin 10. A sump 'II is provided at the lower left extremity of the housing 20 for the collection of oil by-passed by the bleedervalve39. The sump 'II is interconnected to the return inlet 3 of the engine I by means of pipe fitting 34 and piping 12.

When my mixture control regulator I9 has been properly adjusted, the diaphragm 43 and inner and outer diaphragms 49 and 53 are in equilibrium, and the bleeder 39 is open to bypass any oil f entering the passage 3hthrough the hollow cenphragm 53 due to throttle operation, the bleeder 39 closes, raising thevoil pressure in inner disphragm 49 and on piston 22 until equilibrium hss again been established between diaphragm 43 and inner and outer diaphragms 43 and 53, and the higher pressure moves piston 22 to a new position which in turn moves the mixture control I2 to its proper position in relation to engine manifold pressure. For normal sea level operation. the travel of piston 22 is dependent upon the decrease in pressure in outer diaphragm I3: that is. when a very low pressure is present as during idling operation the oil pressure will be raised to an amount equal to the difference in pressure between inner and outer diaphragms 43 and I3 resulting in arather extended piston travel while in the case of part throttle operation the movement of piston 22 will be somewhat less, the amount of travel being In direct relation to pressure diierence between diaphragms 4l and 53 and any pressure exerted by diaphragm 43. In the case of altitude operation, the diaphragm 43 expands, resulting in operation substantially the same as heretofore described. However, the amount of piston travel will be increased and in direct relation to the decreased pressure in outer diaphragm 53 and the amount of pressure exerted by the expansion of diaphragm 43.

In Fig. 3, I have shown the pressure control of 'a turbine supercharger 13; comprising a sleeve in Fig. l.

I claim:

1. In a power regulator, a fluid pressure actuated part, means including a lever for controlling the fluid pressure to said part, an expansible device contacting said lever for moving the same, a second expansible device contacting said lever for moving the same, said first-mentioned expansible device being sealed under vacuum and having its exterior exposed to atmosphericpressure, and said second-mentioned expansible device being connected with a source of fluid pressure, and a third expansible device operatively connected with said lever for moving the same in opposition to said first-mentionedA expansible device and with a force directly proportional to the power applied to said part to be actuated.

2. In a power regulator. a fluid pressure actuated part, means including a lever for controlling the fluid pressure to said part. an expansible device contacting said lever for moving the same, a second expansible device contacting said lever for moving the same, said first-mentioned expansible device being sealed under vacuum and having its exterior exposed to atmospheric pressure, and said second-mentioned expansible device being connected with a source of iluid pressure, and a third expansible device operatively connected with said lever for varying the combined eIIects of said part and second expanslble device in accordance with and proportional to the force applied to said part to be actuated. A

3. In a power regulator, a fluid pressure actuated part, means including a lever for controlling the fluid pressure to said part, an expansible device contacting said lever ior moving the same, a second expansible device contacting said lever for moving the same, said first-mentioned expansible device being sealed under vacuumand-having its exterior exposed to atmospheric pressure. and

said second-mentioned expansible device being connected with a source oi' iiuid pressure, a third expansible device operatively connected with said lever for varying the combined e'ects oi' said part and second expansible device in accordance with and proportional to the force applied to said part to be actuated, and manual means for adjusting the initial position of said lever.

4. In a power regulator for an internal combustion engine, a fluid pressure actuated part, means for continuously supplying iiuid under pressure to a chamber communicating with said part, a relief valve in said chamber, an expansible device responsive to atmospheric pressure and operative to increase a force on said valve tending to close the same upon decreasing pressure, an expansible device responsive to manifold pressure in said engine and operative to increase a force on said valve tending to open the same upon increasing pressure, and an expansible device responsive to the Liiuid pressure in said chamber to apply an equilibrating force on said valve in a direction tending to open the same.

5. In a power regulator, a uid pressure actuated part, a movable member for controlling the fluid pressure to said part, an expansible device for moving said member, a second expansible device i'or moving said member, said first-mentioned expansible device being sealed under vacuum and having its exterior exposed to atmospheric pressure, said second-mentioned expansible device being connected with a source of uid pressure, and a third expansible device operatively connected with said member for varying the combined effects of said first and second expansible devices in accordance with and proportional to the force applied to said part to be actuated.

ADOLPH L. BERGER. 

